Closure release device



p 21, 1965 R. J. JURlN 3,207,273

CLOSURE RELEASE DEVI CE Filed July 20, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Sept. 21, 1965 JURIN 3,207,273

CLOSURE RELEASE DEVICE Filed July 20, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR.

BY M/ M {M Q77w7zeya United States Patent 3,207,273 CLOSURE RELEASEDEVICE Robert J. Jurin, Chicago, Ill., assiguor to Garey Corporation, acorporation of Illinois Filed July 20, 1962, Ser. No. 211,295 6 Claims.(Cl. 189-49) This invention relates to a closure release device and,particularly, to a device which will receive and retain a door or otherclosure in either the open or closed position until a given conditionexists, at which time the device will move out of engagement with theclosure to allow it to be moved into its other position.

There is an ever present need for a system that will retain a series ofclosures, such as doors, or windows in the open or closed position overan extended period of time and which will aways be operable to releasethe closures so they are free to move to their other position.Furthermore, in view of the quick response available when usingelectrical energy, it would be particularly desirable to have a device,or series of devices, that would operate in response to an electricalpower failure, or some other signal, so that the release device would bepositively and instantaneously moved out of retaining engagement withthe closures to permit them to simultaneously close or open, as the casemay be. Such a device should be relatively simple in construction andnot require the use of components that may not stand the test of time sothat effective operation thereof is assured.

An installation where devices of this type would be particularlydesirable if not absolutely necessary is in buildings where they couldbe used to control the movement of doors and Windows in case of fire.For example, such devices could be made to operate in conjunction withan automatic sprinkler system, or other fire alarm systems, so that inthe case of fire or smoke certain areas will be closed off to prevent afire from spreading and/ or windows will be opened to permit smoke toescape.

Other situations in which a device of this type could be used would bewhere all doors should be instantaneously closed for security reasons;to control the movement of dampers for boilers; or any occasion that itis desirable that closures be allowed to move between the open andclosed position. Such a device, in order to be successful, must becapable of repeated use without fear of affecting its operability. Also,it must at all times, regardless of the length of time betweensuccessive uses, operate to quickly and positively move out ofengagement with the closure to permit it to be moved into the positionthat the device had heretofore acted to prevent it from so moving.

Closures release devices currently on the market are generally deficientin that they do not retain their effectiveness over an extended periodof time. This is often due to the fact that they include components thatrust, or become inoperative for some other reason so that they do notfunction when called upon to operate in response to a signal of somesort, such as one emanating from a fire detection system. Furthermore,there are no presently available systems consisting of a large number ofselfcontained individual units of relatively simple construction thatcan be simultaneously operated from a single station. The devicescurrently on the market are multiple unit affairs that include somethingmounted on the closure itself.

In addition, presently available devices often have a limited life sincethey contain mating parts that get out of line and require replacement.Also, when the devices are used to control the movement of doors orwindows in the case of fire, they are not fail-safe in the event offailure of electricity. By that it is meant that if the power fails, thedevice will not automatically operate to allow the closure to move intothe emergency position.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a simple yethighly efiicient electrically operated closure release device which iscapable of retaining a closure in either the open or closed position andwill at all times be operable to release the closure to permit it to bemoved away from the position in which it was theretofore retained. Thedevice contains a minimum of parts that will operate effectivelyregardless of the number of times it is used or the length of timebetween succeeding uses. Another important feature is that the device isselfcontained, thus eliminating the need for mounting anything on theclosure itself.

As illustrated, which is by way of example only, the release device,which is respresentative of one of a number that may be part of a givensystem, initially retains a door in the open position after it reachesthis position and thereafter acts in response to a given signal to movethe device out of engagement with the closure to permit it to close. Inthe instant case, the device operates when the power supply to thedevice is cut off by failure of the electrical system or operating aswitch either manually or in response to some condition.

This device, While usable for many purposes, is particularly useful as asafety device which will allow doors to close and windows to open in theevent of fire. For example, this device could be tied into a fire orsmoke detection system to instantaneously allow all doors in a buildingto close when smoke or fire is present. Also, in the case of a hospitalor other establishment where a fire is observed, the devices may besimultaneously operated from a nurses station, or any other suitableloca tion. In addition, if the system was to be used to maintainsecurity by preventing anyone from leaving the building, the devicescould be operated from a security oflice, at which time the doors wouldbe simultaneously and automatically released to permit them to be movedto a locked position. In each instance, the device normally functions toretain the closure against the action of a force tending to move theclosure out of engagement with the release device. Thus, the closurewill be positively moved when the release device is disengaged from theclosure.

Other advantages will be apparent from the following description whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the closure release device;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device shown retaining a doorin an open position;

FIGURE 3 illustrates the position of the various components of thedevice when it is in the released position; and

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along lines 44 of FIG- URE 2.

The drawings have been directed toward a closure release device forretaining a door in the open position and thus the description of theinvention will be oriented in this direction. However, it will beapparent that with suitable modification, the device is equallyadjustable to hold a window in a closed or open position and otherclosures in preselected positions.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a selfcontainedclosure release device 1 shown positioned to retain a door 2 in the openposition. The major portion of the device is disposed within a casing 3that is secured directly to a wall or bracket adjacent the top of thedoor. The door is retained in the open position by a spring loaded armthat extends out from the bottom of the casing. The door is normallybiased in the closing di rection against the biasing force of the arm bya door closure mechanism (not shown), the details of which are notimportant to an understanding of the present invention.

The main elements of the door release device include a retaining meansto hold the door in the open position, control means for positioning theretaining means relative to the door, condition responsive means forregulating the position of said control means, and switch means foreffecting movement of the control means when the door is in the openposition to move the retaining means into the engaging position.

Turning now to FIGURES 2, 3, and 4, there are illustrated, in detail,the various components of the device.

The structure for retaining the door 2 in the open position consists ofa two-fingered lever 6 that is pivotally mounted on a horizontallyextending pivot pin 7. The pivot pin 7 is rotatably supported inbearings secured to a bottom plate 9 of the main frame structure of thedevice. The lever 6 is supported relative to the other end of the pin 7by a brace 11 that is connected to the finger portion 6a of lever 6.Pivotally secured to the outer end of finger 6a, by a pivot pin 13, forengaging and retaining the door 2 in the open position is the door catcharm assembly 12. The door catch arm assembly includes a door catchroller 16 that comes into actual contact with the door. The roller 16results in substantially frictionless engagement between the arm anddoor which facilitates movement therebetween. The door catch armassembly 12 is resiliently held in the illustrated position relative tolever 6 by a compression spring 17.

The spring 17 extends between a cup 18 secured to an outwardly extendingflange portion 60 of the finger 6b of the lever 6 and a spring cup 19which abuts against a nut 20 secured to a stud 21. The stud 21 isconnected to the door catch arm 12 through a fusible plug 23 that isfitted around the stud 21 and into an opening formed in the door catcharm. Thus, spring 17, which is under compression, biases the door catcharm 12 in a clockwise direction about the pivot pin 13 and retains thearm in this position until a force greater than that set by the springis exerted against the door catch roller. The setting of the spring isadjusted to be in excess of the biasing force normally tending to movethe door in a closing direction. It can be appreciated that with such anarrangement the door can be pulled out of engagement with the releasemechanism by exerting a force in excess of the spring setting. If thisoccurs, the door catch arm 12 will be pivoted counter-clockwise aboutthe pivot pin 13 to where it is out of engagement with the door.Furthermore, in the event the fusible plug 23 is melted by beingsubjected to a high temperature, the catch arm will be free of the stud21 and the spring force will become ineffective to hold the catch armagainst the door and the door will be free to move to the closedposition.

The control means for moving the lever 6 between the positions shown inFIGURES 2 and 3 consists of a link and toggle arrangement that ispositioned by the armature 26 of a solenoid 27, the operation of whichwill be described in detail hereinafter.

The control structure includes a link 28 that is connected at its upperend to the lower end of the armature 26, and at its other end to atoggle linkage. The toggle linkage consists of a first toggle lever 30that is pivotally connected to the back plate of the casing 3 and link28, and a second toggle lever 31 that is connected at one end to thelink 28 and at its other end to a pivot pin 33 mounted in the mainsupport lever 6. The toggle linkage multiplies the force imposed on thelink 28 thus requiring very little force to rotate lever 6.

The control structure is movable between the position shown in FIGURE 2,wherein the link 28 and toggle linkage are in their uppermost positionto retain the door in its open position, and the position shown inFIGURE 3, wherein the link 28 and toggle linkage are in their lowermostposition to move the retaining means out of engagement with the door.When the control structure is moved between the two positions shown inFIGURES 2 and 3, respectively, the support lever 6 is moved in acounterclockwise direction about pivot pin 7 to move the door catch arm12 out of engagement with the door 2, and when the link and toggle aremoved in the other direction, the lever 6 is rotated clockwise to movearm 12 into position to prevent the door from closing.

The condition responsive means for effecting movement of the controlmeans in the instant case consists of a solenoid 27 which when energizeddraws up and holds the armature 26 in its upper position to move theretaining means into engagement with the door. When the solenoid isde-energized, the armature and associated linkages 28, 3t), 31 fall bygravity to move the door retaining means out of engagement with thedoor. If desired, the lever 6 could be weighted at its end opposite thedoor catch arm to add to the gravitational force tending to rotate thesupport lever 6 in a counterclockwise direction. This particulararrangement avoids the use of springs or other biasing means which maybecome inoperative after an extended period of use or non-use. Thisdesign is particularly advantageous in installations where it isessential that the doors or other closures be permitted to move to agiven position in the event of tire. An additional advantage to thisarrangement is that, in the event of power failure, the closure devicewill automatically move out of engagement with the door.

Included in the circuit containing the solenoid 27 is a switch 40 whichis opened and closed by a switch lever 41 that is pivotally mountedabout pivot pin 7. The switch lever has a roller 42 on one end thereofthat is engaged by the door when in the open position to rotate it inthe clockwise direction. When it is so rotated, the other end engages aroller 43 attached to a switch plate 44 to close the circuit andenergize the solenoid 27. When the closure device is released to allowthe door to move to the closed position, the switch lever movescounterclockwise about pin 7 due to a weight 45 secured to the end ofthe switch lever adjacent switch 40 to open the switch. When the door isopened manually the opened switch 40 cuts off the flow of electricity tothe solenoid 27. When the closure device has been released electrically,the open switch 40 insures that the solenoid 27 will not be re-energizedinadvertently before the door is returned to the open position. Itremains to note that the switch lever includes a stop 47 which comesinto engagement with plate 9 to limit the counterclockwise movement ofthe switch lever and thus retain it in position to be engaged by thedoor when it is moved to the open position.

The operation of the closure release device embodying the presentinvention is as follows:

When a door 2 is moved into the open position, it engages roller 42 torotate switch lever 41 in a clockwise direction about pivot pin 7 tomove the lever into engagement with switch plate 43 to close switch 40.When limit switch 40 is closed, power is supplied to the solenoid 27 todraw armature 26 upwardly into the core of the solenoid. Upward movementof armature 26 raises link 28 and positions toggle levers 30, 31 torotate support lever 6 in a clockwise direction about pivot pin 7. Thismovement of lever 6 brings spring hooded door catch arm 12 intoengagement with the door 2 to retain the door in the open position.

When the power to the solenoid is cut off, either by failure of thepower in the building, actuation of a switch or in response to a signal,the armature falls by the force of gravity to move link 28 downwardlyand position toggle levers 30, 31 to rotate support lever 6 in acounterclockwise direction about pivot pin 7. This movement of lever 6moves door catch arm 12 out of engagement with the door 2 and thuspermits the door closure mechanism to move the door to the closedposition. It remains to note that in the event the plug 23 is melted dueto it being exposed to a high temperature, spring 17 will no longer beeffective to retain the catch arm 12 against the door 2 and thus thedoor will be free to move to the closed position even though the poweris still on.

When the door moves out of engagement with the switch lever 41, theweighted switch lever moves counterclockwise to where it is out ofcontact with the limit switch 40. When switch 40 is opened, the power tothe solenoid is shut off to retain the release device in the disengagedposition until the door is again moved into engagement with the switchlever.

While the device has been described as operating upon failure ofelectricity, the solenoid could be controlled by a centrally locatedmanually operated switch or incorporated in with fire detectionapparatus or any other arrangement where it is desired to operatesimultaneously the devices to release the closures when a givencondition exists. Also, if it is desired, a spring, or other biasingforce, could be used to move the retaining means out of engagement withthe door when the solenoid is de-energized. Furthermore, other types oflinkage systems could be used and the closure support arm could bedesigned to extend into a channel on the top of the door or be adaptedto engage anything projecting from the door such as a door handle.

The device is not necessarily limited to the particular structuralconfigurations shown, and it is intended to include by the appendedclaims all such equivalents that fall within the scope of the presentinvention.

I claim:

1. A device for controlling movement of a closure be tween an open andclosed position comprising means for retaining the closure in one ofsaid positions, means for controlling the movement of said retainingmeans, condition responsive means for regulating the position of saidcontrol means and responsive to a first signal to move the retainingmeans into engagement with the closure to hold it in one of saidpositions and upon failure of said first signal to effect movement ofsaid retaining means out of engagement with said closure to permit theclosure to move into the other of said positions, and means positionedby said closure when in said one position to actuate said conditionresponsive means to move said retaining means into engagement with theclosure, said last mentioned means being responsive to movement of saidclosure from said one position for causing failure of said first signal.

2. A device for controlling the movement of a closure between an openand closed position comprising means for retaining the closure in one ofsaid positions, control means constructed and arranged to move saidretaining means out of engagement with said closure, electrical meanswhen energized adapted to position said control means to move theretaining means into engagement with said closure and when de-energizedto move the retaining means of of engagement with said closure, andswitch means actuated by said closure when the closure is moved intosaid one position to energize said electrical means to move saidretaining means into engagement with the closure, said switch meansbeing responsive to movement of said closure from said one position fordeenergizing said electrical means.

3. A device for retaining a door in the open position comprisingretaining means for receiving and holding the door in the open positionand including a pivotally mounted lever, a door support arm pivotallyconnected to one end of said lever, biasing means interconnected betweensaid support arm and said lever to bias said support arm into engagementwith said door, control means for controlling the movement of saidretaining means including a toggle linkage, an electrical solenoidincluding an armature member connected to said control means forregulating the position of said control means and which when energizedwill move said armature and control means to position the retainingmeans into engagement with said door and when deenergized will allowsaid armature to move the retaining means out of engagement with thedoor, and switch means actuated by said door when in the open positionto energize said solenoid to position said control means to move theretaining means into engagement with the door.

4. A door holding and release device comprising means for retaining adoor in the open position including a pivotally mounted lever, a doorsupport arm connected to one end of said lever for engaging said door,and biasing means for holding said arm against the closing action ofsaid door; control means including a toggle linkage to move saidretaining means into and out of engagement with said door, a solenoidhaving an armature connected to said control means for positioning saidcontrol means, a switch lever engaged by said door when the door ismoved to the open position, a switch controlled by the position of saidswitch lever which switch when closed actuates said electrical means tomove said retaining means into engagement with the closure, whereby whenthe door is opened the device will operate to hold the door in thisposition and when the supply of current to the solenoid is cut off thedevice will move out of engagement with the door to allow it to close.

5. A device for controlling movement of a door between the open andclosed positions comprising retaining means for retaining the door inthe open position including a pivotally mounted lever and a support armconnected to one end of said lever and adapted to engage said door,biasing means disposed between said lever and arm for biasing the arminto engagement with the door to prevent it from closing including astud extending through said support arm, linkage means for controllingthe movement of said retaining means, means responsive to electricalcurrent to regulate the position of said linkage means, and switch meansactuated by said door when in the open position to energize saidelectrical means to move the retaining means into engagement with theclosure.

6. A closure release device as described in claim 5 including a fusibleplug disposed between said stud and said lever whereby in response tohigh temperature the support arm will be released from said biasingmeans to allow the door to be moved to the closed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,171,065 8/39Johnson 189-49 2,752,189 6/56 Bachi 292-201 X 2,798,751 7/57 Walden292-l44 2,842,075 7/58 Rataiczak 292-201 X 3,051,281 8/62 Hulf 189473,094,200 6/63 Schlage 18949 FOREIGN PATENTS 524,460 12/53 Belgium.412,659 7/ 34 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

NORTON ANSHER, Examiner.

2. A DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF A CLOSURE BETWEEN AN OPENAND CLOSED POSITION COMPRISING MEANS FOR RETAINING THE CLOSURE IN ONE OFSAID POSITINS, CONTROL MEANS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO MOVE SAIDRETAINING MEANS OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CLOSURE, ELECTRICAL MEANSWHEN ENERGIZED ADAPTED TO POSITION SAID CONTROL MEANS TO MOVE THERETAINING MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CLOSURE AND WHEN DE-ENERGIZEDTO MOVE THE RETAINING MEANS OF OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CLOSURE, ANDSWITCH MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID CLOSURE WHEN THE CLOSURE IS MOVED INTOSAID ONE POSITION TO ENERGIZE SAID ELECTRICAL MEANS TO MOVE SAIDRETAINING MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CLOSURE, SAID SWITCH MEANSBEING RESPONSIVE TO MOVEMENT OF SAID CLOSURE FROM SAID ONE POSITION FORDEENERGIZING SAID ELECTRICAL MEANS.